Aftermath Book Two Crash Series

Chapter Twenty-One

Aria

            I may or may not have f****d up.

            Peeking around the corner I quickly scan the area before booking it across the hallway jerking on Tara’s wrist as we stay in the shadows trying to avoid any attention.

            “He’s right behind us!” She whispers in a panic. The toe of her shoes shove into my heels making me cringe and suck my lips in through the pain I don’t have time for. A weighted iron ball rests in my stomach as my mind swirls.

            If we get caught my experience with Brian might seem like a walk in the park. As astonishing as that is, it’s also true.

            So yeah, I definitely f****d up.

            I woke this morning feeling anxious and impatient, but I honestly thought it was because Mason was leaving. I’m good about finding a bubble of happiness or the eye in the middle of a storm. I’ve never once had a prolonged moment of peace or happiness so I’ve always known when to carve out the best now I can get when I can get it. Falling into that pattern was easy.

            It’s been too easy with Mason. And that’s part of the problem, like he said I can’t use him as a crutch. I can't let him be my reason to enable myself to ignore the problems so I can stay blissfully secure in a bubble of perceived protection. Yet every time I can I do. And today that bubble had to pop so back to reality I went.

            The problem is back in reality I’ve somehow talked myself into thinking I can be some sort of spy? Detective? PI? I don’t know what, but I was dead-ass wrong and I need to retreat as fast as f*****g possible.

            It did sound like a good idea standing in the security of my stainless steel kitchen whipping up enough pineapple upside-down cupcakes for everyone at the Soup kitchen to get two. My way of apologizing for not being around everyone, not participating like I should have been. And they’re damn good so maybe a little apology to myself for losing sight of how much peace surrounding myself with the friends I’ve made in that building brings me.

            But as I shook to Lovely Day By Bill Withers with my hands covered in pineapple juice and stained red from the sugary cherry syrup I couldn’t help but lose some of that instinctual anxiety. Falling back into the bubble even as Wyatt finally had the time and space we needed from Mason and everyone else to give Tara and me both the information we’ve gathered since we set the camera up in the alleyway next to the car shop.

            “Where ever that door leads to has be spacious and or big enough to host a large group of people. Saturday they hosted a large event, at the peak, I counted eighty-three people inside. Given the length from the building the entrance is into the far side of the shop I’m thinking they have the whole basement carved out with maybe a crawlspace between the levels to distract the fed’s or any building inspector.”

            “Can we use that information in some way?” Tara asked from her propped-up spot on the counter next to Wyatt as she swung her feet out in front of her.

            The corner of Wyatt’s lips tugged up with his shrug, “You never know what information will come in use. But a place that’s stayed hidden for this long while it serves so many people? It draws a lot of questions.”

            “You think we need to get in there and check it out?” After I placed the last cherry in the center of a pineapple ring I rinsed my hands off before I poured the thick batter into the tin cups.

            “No I don’t want either of you close to that place ever again and I’ll be made as soon as I get close. We need an informant.” In typical Wyatt fashion, he stood with his back to the corner of the Shirley’s, giving him the perfect view of the whole room. His eyes are always scanning for threats as he plans our retreat in anticipation of a threat.

            “And… Where do we get an informant from?” Tara asked in exasperation like she’s shocked she has to pull it out of him. That’s when I first picked up on her unusual irritation and shortness pointed in Wyatt’s direction. A flickering thought that had me wondering if they fought and about what but I quickly moved along as Wyatt answered.

            “I might have a lead. I’ve been quietly running facial recognition on as many of these people as I can, in general, I’ve got some decent information from it. But the only person that would be valuable to us and willing to work with us is her.” That’s when he pulled out his phone so he could show us our new target.

            We had enough information on her to know where she would be tonight giving us the perfect opportunity to make an introduction of some kind. To get the ball rolling while Mason was away with no chance of asking questions like where I am and what am I doing.

            We made a plan while we ate lunch and munched on the fresh cupcakes, we we’re working on boxing up. I printed out little pamphlets with information on Shirley’s café and stuck them in the box with their cupcakes. Usually, I’ll hand out individual treats that they eat there or wrap in a napkin to take with them but today we took our time making everyone their own box.

            I added the pamphlet in hopes that they’ll see the opening date and the hours I’ll be offering for the people in need specifically. I want them to have my number, address, and the knowledge that they all have a safe warm place to hang out if they ever need it. And everyone appreciated the gesture and told me how excited they are for the opening day.

            Tara and Wyatt even came and helped pass everything out and clean up after dinner was done so we could leave in time to make it to the strip club a few blocks away from the garage. Tara and I both changed in the car much to Tara’s dismay. She didn’t see the need in a disguise claiming no one knows her. But Wyatt shared the same feelings as me. We didn’t want to take any chances. We’re dealing with the mob here, we can’t afford any missteps.

            Too bad missteps are my specialty.

            We pulled up to the neon-lit building just as the night was starting. Wyatt pulled into the back of the club to not draw attention to the car or himself. He naturally draws attention and anyone in here just needs to look at any number of the photos released by the press to see him standing next to me, let alone the reputation he’s built around town through his years of employment. Long story short Tara and I are going in alone.

            I made sure to bring a travel-size bottle of whiskey in my purse that I pulled out before we got out of the car, the last part of our disguise, the smell of liquor. I tipped the small bottle of brown sticky liquor onto my wrist so I could rub it on the sides of my neck and around my lips before I handed it over to Tara so she could do the same.

            We figured we could stumble in “drunk” ready to have a wild girls' night. Two drunk girls wanting to experience what a strip club is all about. Fully dressed for the role I was about to play I stepped out of the car on steady feet thanks to the wedges I put on rather than the heels I wore last time.

            I gave Tara a trendy blonde wig with a blue-themed ombre color and she did her makeup thicker than her normal look. Usually, she sticks to natural colors, her pale skin and red hair go well with light eyeshadows and bright lipstick, and not much else. But tonight she painted her face with thick layers of eyeliner and multitoned glittery gray eyeshadow.

            The trendy lacey black pants suit fits her curves perfectly and doesn’t leave much to the imagination, if the car wasn’t so dark and Wyatt could have made more out I think there would have been an argument for her to change. It looks hot, she pulls it off beautifully but it’s darker than she tends to wear and more exposed.

            We laughed as we slurred our words past the bouncer at the door and straight to the bar to the front of the club. The lights were down low which made it impossible to get a good look at the space and the people in it. So, after we got our drinks we walked along the stages as we leaned into each other and worked on pretending like we were enjoying the naked woman dancing on the stages as much as the drooling men sitting in front of them.      

            Really, we were just looking for a specific woman. Grace Volt, a twenty-two-year-old single mom who strips at night and works at the grocery store during the day. According to Wyatt’s background check she’s been enrolled in the local community college putting herself through online nursing courses. She lives close to where we are now in a studio apartment with her two-year-old daughter and drives a beat-up Ford Escape.

            I didn’t know if she’d be receptive to our pleas but Wyatt was right, she’s our best bet. The only reason she’s here now is to support her family. If we have a lucrative enough deal to offer her that gives her the opportunity to support herself minus two jobs one that makes her dance for scummy undeserving men. Work is work, I know some of these women may enjoy doing this but the Grace on paper doesn’t seem to be that woman.

            “Is that her?” Tara pointed past the two platform closets to us towards the third and final in this row. Dancing on the stage was who appeared to be Grace. She had her dark straight hair blown out hanging around her tipped face, her hands wrapped around the pole behind her back as she spread her high heeled feet so she could seductively slide down the pole giving the three men standing next to the stage a perfect view of what’s between her thighs, her core only covered in a barely-there black thong.

            “It looks like her,” I whispered back before I took a sip from my drink. There was not a doubt in my mind that cameras covered every inch of the place so every moment we needed to stay in character even though the restless anticipation that begged me to rush over there, pull her down, and get answers.

            Tara took a sip of her own drink before she turned to me with a heated look that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. The girl can act and proved it as she grabbed my hips and tugged me into her, right there in between stages and horny men. She didn’t hesitate like I did, my mind and body taking time to process the sudden shift.

            She took advantage of my surprise by leaning in and pressing her lips to mine in a shocking and unexpected kiss. Her lips demanded my obedience and participation as she gripped the back of my neck so she could angle my head back.

            I struggled hard not to laugh, Tara is an amazing kisser but her lips aren’t Masons and they caught me off guard. My stomach was twisting with awkward pains of discomfort but I had a role to play. So I kissed her back and used my drink free hand to squeeze her hips in what I hoped looked like encouragement and passion because by the sounds of the whistles and cheers the men took notice.

            And apparently, that was all Tara needed because she pulled away with a smirk before she grabbed my hand towards Grace. We ignored the men and their crude comments as we made ourselves comfortable in the chairs around her stage.

            I pulled out the cash we brought and threw it on the stage and when she came close we would reach over and stick the bills in the stings of her thongs. We cheered when we should and chugged back a few drinks as we watched her set. Everyone in the room lost interest in the two of us soon after we sat the men around us asked if we’re into threesomes or if either of us was bi we just send them glares and let them know we only do threesomes with other girls.

            They drool at that and inquire about our interest in an audience which keeps them distracted and helps everyone settle more that we’re here for our own enjoyment. They thought we were here for the same reasons they were and that was exactly Tara’s point of the kiss.

            The moment Grace announces this will be her last dance Tara announces she needs to run to the bathroom as we planned. As I boo at the news of her last dance, while really inside I was relieved to get to the reason why we’re here done and over with.

            She stepped down a few moments later as she collected her tips and tied her top back on. I made sure to look around the room as I finished off my latest drink while I waited for her to get a little ahead of me. The women's bathrooms were in the back in the same hall the woman’s dressing rooms are. Tara’s waiting for us just on the other side of the door and I’m supposed to walk behind her.

            Keeping my face slack and my eyes unfocused I stumbled in the direction of the bathrooms as I slipped the folded envelope from my back pocket. Just as Grace is about to step past the bathroom door Tara pulls it opened which forced Grace to stop in her tracks. Giving me the time to “Stumble” into her back.

            “Oh, s**t Babe!” Tara says in exasperation as she reaches out for Grace as she totters on her heels after my intentional force.

            “It’s probably a good idea if you made your way to the exit,” Grace said after she steadies herself and pulled away from Tara.

            Leaning on the wall I squint my eyes as I mumble an “I’m sorry.” I reached out I pretending to lean too far forward so I stumbled into her giving me a chance to hand her the envelope and whisper in her ear, “Read this please.”

            She heard me I know she did as she pulled away with a suspicious look but she took the envelope and tucked it in her bra before she ran the rest of the way down the hallway.

            Tara and I both shared a look of pride as we both thought we were successful and did what we came here to. All we need to do now is wait for her to meet us.

            If only we knew how wrong we were.